Why read Psalm 142?
Psalm 142 asks for guidance and strength when the soul is troubled. Its plea to know the right path and learn God's will places discernment and hope at the heart of prayer.
You can read this psalm when its themes speak to your circumstances, or as part of your regular reading of the Psalter. This explanation draws on the text itself; the psalm is not reserved for one particular need.
The full text of Psalm 142 (12 verses), from the Nineteenth Kathisma of the Psalter. The opening words — "O Lord, hear my prayer, give ear unto my supplication..." — are also the traditional "name" of the psalm: our grandmothers did not say "psalm 142", but called it by name, after its first words.
The text of Psalm 142
1. O Lord, hear my prayer, give ear unto my supplication; in Thy faithfulness hearken unto me, and in Thy righteousness.
2. Enter not into judgement with Thy servant, for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath humbled my life down to the earth; he hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
4. My spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5. I remembered the days of old; I meditated on all Thy works, I pondered on the works of Thy hands.
6. I stretched forth my hands unto Thee; my soul thirsteth after Thee as a thirsty land.
7. Hear me speedily, O Lord, for my spirit hath fainted. Turn not Thy face away from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8. Cause me to hear Thy mercy in the morning, for in Thee is my trust. Show me the way wherein I should walk, for unto Thee have I lifted up my soul.
9. Deliver me from mine enemies, O Lord; unto Thee have I fled for refuge.
10. Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God. Let Thy good Spirit lead me in the land of uprightness.
11. For Thy name's sake, O Lord, quicken me. In Thy righteousness bring my soul out of affliction.
12. And of Thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul, for I am Thy servant.
When Psalm 142 is read
- at Holy Unction and in repentance — one of the seven penitential psalms.
- At the end of each psalm, the tradition adds: "Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen."
Neighbouring psalms
Read also
The numbering follows the Orthodox Psalter (Septuagint). The same psalm may have a different number in other Bible editions.
